Whether Tang Ji wanted it or not, the whole world seemed to have begun a new round of changes. Just before the smoke from the Lily Sanatorium fire had cleared, the Federation finally introduced the first official registration bill for superhumans.
The classification of superhuman beings has actually been ongoing, but this time the federal government officially informed the public of the existence of superhuman beings and clarified their rights and obligations.
It was once suggested that superhuman beings be divided into several major categories according to their abilities: spiritual system, energy system, material change system, etc., but this classification method was soon abandoned with the endless emergence of superhuman beings.
Of the two superhuman beings who can also control fire, one can create fire out of thin air and paint in the air like a painting according to his own wishes.
The other one needs to rely on a lighter to start a fire, and then change the gas composition around the flame to control the size and movement trajectory of the flame.
The external performance of both parties is almost identical, but the inner core is very different. Even the latter relies on its superb chemical knowledge to be superior in the field of flame control.
The flame controller can even gather hydrogen in the air in a small area to create an ultra-high temperature flame with a temperature of up to 4300 degrees in a pure oxygen bubble.
The former was a street magician before. The only change after his awakening was that he became a well-known local street magician. He is now in jail because of an accidental fire that caused a fire.
The official name of the bill is the "Federal Superhuman Registration Temporary Act." In addition to requiring all superhumans in the federation to report to a special office in their region, it also specifies relevant benefits.
Superhumans who have been certified by the federal government can receive a special subsidy of two thousand federal dollars per month with valid documents. Although this amount of money is not much, it is enough to feed people and prevent them from going astray due to hunger.
This subsidy will increase as the level of superhuman certification increases, and the federal superhuman level certification system is currently only divided into simple...D level.
This is a large amount of additional expenditure. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 1.2 million superhumans in the Federation, and superhumans exist at all levels of society.
As a standard small government, the power of the federal government has been compressed to the limit. During the Second Corporate War, it 'lost' the taxation power of sixteen states. During the period after the war, it 'lost' it one after another.
Eighteen were dropped.
These states that have 'lost' their tax power do not no longer pay taxes to the federal government, but the federal tax bureau no longer has investigative powers in these states. The tax amounts of these independent tax states are completely collected and handed over by the state governments themselves.
And this is basically equivalent to the federal government's tax revenue in these states being completely begging. The alliance of big companies that really rule these states will pay some money to the federal government when they are in a good mood, and let the state governments run a fiscal deficit to disgust them when they are in a bad mood.
federal government.
Of course, the above are insider information, and even if most people in the Federation knew about it, it would not affect their lives at all.
But this time, along with the introduction of the "Federal Superhuman Temporary Registration Act", there is also a tax increase for the federal special security tax.
...
...
"This is the Voice of Night City. It's 7:30 in the morning. I'm happy to share with you today's morning news. The federal government has officially promulgated the "Federal Superhuman Temporary Registration Act." We have invited relevant experts to provide you with
Detailed explanation..."
"Hello everyone, I'm your old friend Stan! Have you heard? From the moment you open your eyes this morning, you will have to pay taxes for your superhuman neighbors!
That's right, your miserable life has a new burden! It's not from your wife and children, nor from your unpaid credit card, but from the superhuman who exploded the atomic bomb in our country last year!
I bet that the hospitable Night City people will come out with a wave of armed demonstrations to protest, but the director doesn’t allow me to say that, so who knows? The best thing sold in Night City is not aspirin, let’s wait and see!”
Tang Ji was listening to the garbled radio in the car. He and other members of the team were driving to the remote Baja California. Aaliya stayed up all night last night and failed to find any more information about the Ice Princess.
There were no threatening calls, no ransom demands, the kidnappers just disappeared into thin air, and no news came out.
In Wu Qianying's analysis, the most unfortunate thing may be that someone else also noticed the uniqueness of the Snow Princess' ability and took action first.
So this time Tang Ji and the others brought enough weapons. No matter whether the opponent was a kidnapper looking for money or a group of blind corporate mercenaries, Tang Ji planned to take it down.
Tony Levins would join them in Baja California. The restless raider took advantage of this gap to make a deal for a drug lord in South America, but only received half of the commission.
The other half insists on using cocoa drinks to subdue them, but there is really no market for this thing now, even if the old-school drug lords in South America advertise on TV that this thing is all-natural, green, pollution-free, non-GMO, and 18-year-old virgin
Hand processing doesn't help either.
There are only a few old guys who are old and want to miss the past and occasionally buy some. They have basically bid farewell to the ranks of high-broker crops.
The new generation of addictive compounds is completely synthesized by industry. The only reason that limits its production is market saturation and the speed at which the compounds are constantly updated.
As for Shadow, he is still out of contact. No one knows where the usually taciturn sniper is now.
Tang Ji had to consider recruiting a sniper again, but this position has always been in short supply in the mercenary industry, and the difference between the upper and lower limits is too big.
The old man introduced a few people, but just by looking at the information, Tang Ji knew that those people couldn't do his job. Compared with the existing people in his team, those people were too conservative.
There are no prosthetics, no implants, and the average age is over forty-five years old. Tang Ji does not want to take these people to their graves. They cannot fight modern wars.
Not everyone can be like Anthony and spend more time on training equipment than in bed every day.
And Anthony strictly relies on technology to make a living. Like Ethan, the drug addict, he is a non-combatant. His military technology is a complete surprise of buy one, get one free.
Tang Ji didn't know where else he could find a helper with superb medical skills and proficiency in driving a variety of vehicles. Maybe continuing to recruit people from the trauma team would be a good choice?
Tang Ji and the others set off in three cars this time. Anthony and Tang Ji were in one car, and in the trunk
Filled with all kinds of weapons and protective equipment, the one at the front.
In the middle are Saints and Ethan. Because Ethan is still recovering, the back half of the car had to be modified, almost equivalent to an ambulance, and could even perform simple surgeries.
Martin is still at the end, driving a truck. Although their team is small in number, it has a lot of technical equipment. Ethan's drone and Martin's heavy firepower are all in this truck.
In the past, with the backing of the Lazarus Group, they could fly around the world with their equipment. Now that Tang Ji has become semi-independent of Lazarus, this benefit is naturally gone.
Based on the prophet's right to speak within the Lazarus Group, the Lazarus Group still provided blood to Tang Ji's team, but many of the benefits had still changed, not to mention that this time it was purely private work.
"You should take a rest. You have never relaxed since I met you." Anthony adjusted his seat to make himself more comfortable: "This is a long journey. Look at the scenery outside the window.
, it will be good for you to get some sleep."
"What, you are a psychiatrist now?" Tang Ji made a rare joke. Anthony is the kind of person who can completely reassure you in just a few hours.
"Speaking of this, I did learn the introduction to psychology late on my own, and I am trying to get a certificate as a psychological counselor online." Anthony's deep voice mixed with the roar of the car engine made people drowsy: "I have a lot of free time.
, reading and studying are my pastimes."
"If everyone was like you, I'm afraid those players wouldn't be willing to come to our place." Tang Ji really relaxed a lot around Anthony, so much so that he even forgot that Anthony was not an insider.
"Player?" Anthony frowned, he didn't know what the word specifically referred to.
Tang Ji was silent for a while, and finally decided to tell the truth in a limited way: "Players... they come from another world, and it is difficult to explain their existence. If you want to know theoretical things, you can ask Dr. Wu to give them to you later.
Explain in detail.”
"What I can tell you is that they can occupy superhuman bodies at will, but killing the shell will not kill the player. They can be resurrected unlimited times, and they regard our world as some kind of game." Tang Ji
Lean back in his chair: "This is our enemy, and their latest job is to further align our world with the background of the story they wrote."
"Sounds pretty bad." Anthony's voice was calm, as if Tang Ji had just introduced him to a street food stall.
"It's really bad." Tang Ji pressed down the car window and let the natural wind blow in: "You don't seem to be surprised at all."
"I just didn't express it." Anthony turned his head, and every line on his resolute face seemed to be a straight line: "But to me, the difference is not big. Before I could be surprised by the appearance of superhumans, they were already
Become part of this world."
"I'm just an old antique who lives in a military camp and is unwilling to face social changes. Superhumans and players are all the same to me." Anthony continued to look straight ahead: "I am used to a life where someone gives orders. The rest
The only question is how to complete the task."
"Man, has anyone told you that your life is a mess?" Tang Ji could understand Anthony's state. He stretched and looked at the sun rising higher and higher in the distance: "You haven't even experienced the colors of this world.
"
"My commander said this. After he retired, he was shot dead by a fourteen-year-old robber on the street." Anthony's tone was as steady and scary as the speed of his car: "The colors in this world are not that bright.
"
"You should try to find a woman." Tang Ji squinted his eyes. He didn't know how long it had been since he had such a relaxed chat with someone. Almost all of his old friends were buried with the disaster.
Along with Angelina and his heart...
Tang Ji didn't know how long he slept. When he woke up, the car was parked on the side of the road. The sun was setting outside, and the entire sky was reflected in orange.
He could hear Ethan complaining about how bad the burgers at the highway restaurant were, he could hear the sound of Saint checking his gun, and he could also hear the sound of Martin chewing. Apparently the burger was not as bad as Ethan complained.
Tang Ji opened the door and saw a roadside restaurant that looked a little older. Behind the restaurant, there was a desolate town.
With the advancement of federal urbanization, the population between cities has become increasingly sparse, and a large number of small towns have been abandoned.
This road restaurant seems to be the only place still open in the entire town. In addition to the restaurant, they are also a charging station and a gas station.
Counting Tang Ji's and his three cars, there were seven cars parked here in total, one of which was a tattered McNocky with the law enforcer's mark on it.
"Are you awake?" Anthony handed over two large burgers: "This only provides this kind of food, synthetic meat and margarine, but it is better than our compressed food."
"Thank you." Tang Ji just leaned against the car door and finished his dinner in three mouthfuls. Although the texture of the synthetic meat was a bit like plastic, it didn't seem so unpalatable under the cover of various seasonings.
Ethan reluctantly ate a hamburger, and his face was horribly pale. He was in the midst of a withdrawal reaction, and the amount of medicine Anthony prescribed to him was only a quarter of the medicine he usually took. The addiction drilled out of his bones, making him unable to even walk.
All effortful.
But the last experience that almost drove him to death allowed Ethan to barely maintain his sanity. At the same time, he also knew that even if he wanted to go crazy, anyone in the team could teach him what it means to cure a disease with punches.
Anthony looked at the time and patted Ethan on the shoulder. Like a victim who had been thirsty for three days in the desert and finally saw water, Ethan followed Anthony onto the modified truck.
On the other side of the charging station, there were four or five people wearing plaid shirts and carrying baseballs to buy. The driver, who was about thirty years old, was also eating burgers, but his eyes were always staring at Tang Ji and his group.
They are considered locals, and their only job is to transport freight, and occasionally they get some smuggling jobs from organizations like the Luan Dao Society.
There is nothing they dare not transport, from living people to corpses, from addictive compounds to ammunition. Anyway, they don't go into the city and don't need to go through security. As long as they pay, it doesn't matter.
At the same time, they are also the informants of those forces. Organizations like the Luan Dao Society are very happy to appear as robbers on the road.
Under normal circumstances, Tang Ji and the others were not within their hunting range for such an unprovoked armed team, but when Anthony opened the truck, these drivers saw a lot of professional medical supplies.
In addition, Ethan's appearance as a drug addict was too conspicuous. These people thought that Tang Ji and the others were a smuggling team transporting addictive compounds. In just a few glances, they sent the news about this big fish upstream.
organize.
Where Tang Ji and the others could not see, a convoy targeting them had begun to gather.
Please remember the first domain name of this book: ._